Red Hand gets in Touch with the world

After nearly 20 years since its formation, Red Hand, one of China's most influential jazz bands, has released its first album, titled Touch — a long-awaited event that has sent ripples of excitement through the music scene.

Recorded in a studio in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, in June 2023, the album, unlike traditional jazz numbers and the general notion of free improvisation, finds a critical balance between composition and improvisational experimentation. It uses meticulously crafted pieces as the skeletal framework for creation, while the vibrant, life-filled improvisational notes serve as the blood and energy that drive the flow of the music.

The significant change in sound texture has brought a whole new chemical reaction to this reunion of Red Hand, and the use of live recording allows for the most authentic reproduction of the musicians' performance and spiritual energy at the time.

This is a recording method with very low tolerance for errors — no post-production adjustments can be made, and the performance must be done in one continuous take. However, for Red Hand, this was not considered a major challenge.

Wen Zhiyong, with his trumpet and electric wind instrument, creates enchanting atmospheres that have left a lasting impression on many listeners. Chinese-American saxophonist and composer Nathaniel Gao has begun using effects pedals to expand the auditory dimensions of the brass section. Beyond the free improvisation of the bass, modular synthesizers have become a key part of Wang Chenhuai's performance. Xia Jia occasionally shifts his fingers from the piano keys to the keyboard and knobs of an analog synthesizer. Liu Xingyu (better known by his stage name Xiao Dou) has built a more three-dimensional rhythmic landscape with an expanded range of percussion instruments.

"Releasing a debut album after nearly 20 years is highly significant for all of us. The debut album after such a long period represents the growth, experimentation, and individual member contributions that have developed over the years," says Wen, 52. "The members have explored different genres, collaborated with other artists, and developed our unique musical style, all of which contribute to this album."

"This time, the reunion of the five members is a fusion of jazz and experimental electronics. It still features all of our original compositions, but sonically, it marks the beginning of a completely new era," says Xia, 51, who met Wen as a teenager when they were both enrolled at the middle school affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Though they were both trained to become classical musicians, they were drawn to jazz music as teenagers and later developed into jazz musicians.

According to Xia, many of the works featured on this album were completed during the recording. Though they live in different parts of the world and rarely meet nowadays, when they stepped into the studio, something magical happened.